On Oct. 18, the entire Morris Hills student body gathered in the auditorium to listen to burn survivors Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos speak about the dormitory fire that raged through Boland Hall at Seton Hall University on January 19th, 2000.

Their story of friendship and perseverance was truly inspirational, and its effects could be seen throughout the auditorium, moving many students to tears.

This year, students at Morris Hills and Morris Knolls were given a choice of what book to read over the summer, from an assortment of books picked by the Language Arts department, all of which included themes of perseverance.

These books with similar themes being read all over the school created a feeling of unity among students and staff throughout the school, while also allowing a feeling of individuality, taking into account students’ individual preferences.

The book, “After the Fire,” by Robin Gaby Fisher, followed Shawn and Alvaro’s story. Fisher was a reporter on their story when the fire happened. Alvaro said that Fisher “followed us on our journey to recovery, which led to the book being published.”

Shawn and Alvaro’s main goal in giving presentations to young adults is because they believe that their story can be influential to the public, and that it can also bring important causes to light, such as fire safety.

“When we were young, people never spoke about fire safety, so we felt like it was important to share our stories,” Shawn said. They feel it is their responsibility to teach more people about fire safety and bring awareness to the cause.

Mrs. Toriello, the District Director of Language Arts, organized the school assemblies at both Morris Hills and Morris Knolls. Mrs. Toriello said that the presentation came to fruition when she “reached out to Alvaro and Shawn through their website when [she] was looking to bring in a speaker relevant to our summer reading project. Shawn responded to me that same day and we began the conversation about what I was looking to do.”

“What truly demonstrates their perseverance is not just their physical recovery, but their determination to rebuild their lives and find purpose in their tragedy. They had to learn to be comfortable in their ‘new skin’ – a challenge that tested their resilience daily,” Mrs. Toriello said.

“Instead of letting their trauma define them negatively, they transformed their experience into a mission to help others, showing that true perseverance isn’t just about surviving, but about emerging stronger and more purposeful,” she continued.

Mrs. Toriello hopes that students “took away several powerful messages from Alvaro and Shawn’s presentation. First, there’s the crucial awareness of fire safety and the potentially devastating consequences of false alarms and pranks – what started as a prank ended in tragedy”

“Beyond the safety lessons, their story offers profound insights about resilience and friendship,” she said. “Their message that ‘life will give you many obstacles’ but success comes from ‘drawing strength, knowledge and motivation from those around you and from within’ is especially relevant for students.”

My conversation with Shawn and Alvaro showed me the reason why they choose to share their story, and how they believe they should share their stories adds another dimension to what they do. No one forced them to give these presentations, but yet they do, sharing their stories with young adults who will be on their own in just a matter of years.

Many students were also moved by the words of Shawn and Alvaro. Sophomore Sophie Dong said, “It was incredibly inspiring. Their survival and perseverance was unbelievable.”

There is so much that can be learned from Shawn and Alvaro, whether it be the importance of fire safety or the power of perseverance and friendship. Their presentation at Morris Hills was truly memorable, leaving a lasting impact on all of the students and staff.